Author: Raluca Marcu
Secondary education is defined by the Romanian Ministry of Education as a compulsory component that should focus on eight domains (and key competences) that ultimately determine the professional profile of the student. High School, on the other hand, should focus on the development and the formation of a set of specific competences, depending on the chosen profile or specialisation.
In other words, the objectives of school education are the guidance and the preparation of students for their future professional and/or academic activities. The diversity of subjects included in the compulsory syllabus is therefore intended to help students to discover their inclinations/ abilities (analytical, artistic, technical, etc.) and not just to develop the general knowledge. Unfortunately, on paper things looks better than they really are. The limited time children spend at school, the multitude of subjects and other external factors make it difficult for students to prepare for the future life. That’s why the Ministry of Education has provided educational counsellors and professionals to provide psycho-pedagogical support.
But what can we do when in 2022, (only) in Sibiu County there are “52 school counsellors and 12 logopaedics, according to the County Centre for Educational Resources and Assistance (CJRAE)”?! Or in other words, what do students do when they need help and have no one to ask because there is only one counsellor for over 1,000 students in the county?
Or, even more specifically we could ask: what is the situation in Laslea, Sibiu?
This is the data: The school dropout rate reaches almost 50%. The pass rate for national tests is only 25%. Very few 8th graders go on to high school, even though, in theory, compulsory education should be until the 10th class.
The lack of encouragement is acutely felt even in families, where parents either do not work legally, or only have a primary education, or are unemployed, or have gone abroad for a better living condition.
What are we doing: over the last years we got more aware of these issues and, as we don’t know when more counsellors will be assigned to schools, we thought we should start doing a long term project.
So, thanks to funding from the Start ONG programme, launched by Kaufland and implemented by the Act for Tomorrow Association, we were able to start our newest project – Vocation for the Future – vocational counselling for youth living in the villages.
In practice, we will train 5 teachers from Laslea and Seleus villages by organising specific vocational counselling and mentoring workshops. Subsequently, those 5 teachers organize workshops and vocational counselling sessions with 25 young students from the villages of Laslea and Seleus, aged between 11 and 15.
Because the need is pressing, we are speeding up the process and we plan to have each teacher working with a group of 5 children. This will allow us to cover 20 counselling sessions by the end of the semester.
Why do students need vocational counselling?
Firstly, we should mention that counselling is not necessarily a reaction to an existing problem. It is a complex process of identifying needs, skills and providing the right guidance to find the best solution for each individual. We should all benefit from counselling, whether in a family setting, at school or at work.
Because we wish to have a well-prepared society (academically, emotionally, and professionally), counselling services are absolutely necessary. Some might call counselling services – mentoring, others might call it an ‘advice from a professional’.
Because we work with students, and their needs are focused on identifying a suitable high school/ profession/ career, we call this service – vocational counselling.
Secondly, for young people in the village who do not have role models to motivate them or to encourage to break out of the vicious circle, vocational counselling can be a first step towards change. They may have (and they even have) skills that they are not yet aware of. Through counselling, these skills/ strengths/ qualities come to light, and through practice, youth will internalize them.
Usually, the 8th graders feel distrustful. Some are influenced by the examples around them, for others the parents are deciding over and over. Few do not have the courage to confess what they want to do in their future… And most of the youths don’t even think about a future.
That’s why counselling helps them to assimilate a valuable set of information about themselves, about planning for the future, about the job market, about the variety of specialisations and about making informed decisions.
Choosing the best high school, applying for the right job, and finding a career that meets both needs and desires are NOT caprices. They are mandatory actions for the proper development and mental health of each of us.
We firmly believe that every young person is capable, endowed with qualities and the power to be what they want to be. But we also believe that without the right guidance, some young people may not be aware of their own strength.
We are running our project, and we cannot wait to be back with data and our results.
We really hope that all the 25 students who will attend the counselling sessions will succeed together with their teachers in building studying and career plans adapted to their needs. Our only wish is to hear the students screaming – I am going to High-School – at the end of the semester. Wish us luck!
Vocation for the Future is a project realized through an Start ONG grant financed by Kaufland Romania and implemented by the Act for Tomorrow Association.
Start ONG is a program launched by Kaufland Romania and implemented by Act for Tomorrow Association. The targeted areas are: education, health, environment, social and culture. The total value of the program is 500,000 euros. Start ONG program is the simplest Community funding instrument for young NGOs, non-administrative institutions and informal / initiative groups.